One might as well ask if the Illithids would ever consider any other trade good besides slaves for food. I can't think of what else they could ever need...
Oh thats the easy part ...
Raw materials, magical objects, alchemical substances, specific test subjects ... same things any race would trade really.
Of course, they don't necessarily need trade, but as above-average intelligent beings, they let others do their dirty work.
Indeed ...
But this would work only if other side would desire to trade with them, and they would just allow it.
I mean, dont get me wrong ...
I dont doubt for a second that Illithids are smart enough to realize that this potential meal brought them proposition, that would lead to much more meal and other potential resources and stuff ... hells, even Lizardfolk can understand this concept.
What i cant understand is the meal point of wiev ... why would anyone even propose such thing?
What i can imagine, and it may potentialy be though as some very twisted kind of trade ... is paying them a tribute ... you know, something like: "We get you 100 slaves per year and you dont enslave us, ok?"
That would make sense to me.
Now, when i think about it, it seems that i located my problem with the idea.
Bcs, quite honestly ... Drows, Duergars, and Illithids ... have same mentality as common murderhobbo, in my mind. You can offer them gold for not killing you ... and thats a good deal. But they can just aswell kill you and take the gold, so why would they accept your offer?
So why not have Drow as predestined slave hunters procure food for them and the equipment from their own skirmishes they don't need either, so they trade it.
Dont they tho?
I allways though that anyone who isnt needed (and quite often even those who are, since they please her more) is sacrificed to Lolth.
But i presume they could teoreticaly trade dead bodies ... if brains are interesting enough for Illithids even after person is bleeded to death in name of your evil deity.
